


Useless Decorating

by GraveVyxen



Category: The Almighty Johnsons
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-31
Updated: 2013-03-31
Packaged: 2017-12-07 01:36:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/742641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GraveVyxen/pseuds/GraveVyxen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mike notices some changes to his man pad. And he might like them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Useless Decorating

**Author's Note:**

> TITLE: Useless Decorating
> 
> CHARACTERS: Mike Johnson, Michele
> 
> PAIRINGS: Mike/Michele
> 
> NOTES: Inspired by a prompt on The Almighty Johnsons Kink Meme. ( http://almighty-kink.livejournal.com/820.html?thread=157236#t157236 ) Because this pairing is my all time favorite.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: Not my characters, nor is this affiliated with the show ‘The Almighty Johnsons’ in any way, shape, or form.

It’s not like it happened overnight, so the fact that it’d taken Mike this long to notice was no real surprise. He’d only taken a good look this morning at the big, open space that had been his man-pad for months, because Michele got called into the hospital early, and he’d been left to his own devices. His own devices being a large mug of coffee, yesterday’s newspaper (today’s was likely out front, but he’d have to actually descend the stairs to get it and that involved dressing), and no pants in his favorite chair. But, the view from his favorite chair showed him something he’d never really put much thought into.

“When the hell did I get all of these damn candles?” Mike wondered aloud, setting aside his newspaper. He stood to survey the table. His fingers traced the edge of a decidedly feminine cloth covering running the length of it that the candlesticks were situated on. Decidedly feminine because Valerie had put something like this on their old dining table, the one they never used, mind you, that he’d spent money on and that sat in a very formal and expensive room collecting dust. The color was dusky, though, the one he’d gotten here, but still, where had it come from?

A vase of fake flowers threw him off when he reached out to touch their cloth petals, because, how did these things get in here without him noticing? They were tacky, and ugly, and there was no point to having flowers on a table anyway, unless they gave off some kind of scent, and even then, who needed them? Valerie had vases of them throughout their old house, and Mike couldn’t help but wrinkle his nose in remembrance. He’d hated those stupid things.

And these weren’t the only things he was noticing now, the things that were cluttering up his once-clear table with their purposelessness. No, as he turned around to grab his coffee from the wooden box that had served as his coffee table, he noticed it. A stuffed little red square in his favorite chair. A throw pillow. A useless little throw pillow. A useless little throw pillow that he hadn’t bought and that was still obviously _there_ , even though it shouldn’t be.

“What the hell is going on?” Mike muttered, taking a large gulp of the cooling coffee in his mug. Had this all appeared overnight? Had he sleepwalked to the store? Where did these things come from, and more to the point, how did they get there without him ever noticing?

But, as he turned toward his yet-unmade bed, something caught his sight. A red something, something that he recognized fully. Michele’s warm trench coat, hanging there on his clothing rack, nestled comfortably between his jeans and his shirts. And that wasn’t the only new piece of clothing he saw. A few of her blouses, and a leather jacket with a distinctly womanly neckline. Not his, surely. And it hit him then.

Michele. Michele had brought these things to his house. And he’d not noticed them before, because she was normally around to keep him distracted. A smile lit his face. She’d obviously been doing this on purpose, making his new home more homey.

Downing what was left of his coffee, he turned back to the kitchen to put the mug in the sink. He’d clean it later on, he figured, once he’d finished his paper and finally put on some pants. Maybe after he’d closed the bar down for the night, he didn’t feel much like washing it right now. But as he’d turned back to get dressed, he heard the door opening up. Expecting Olaf, he grabbed for his newspaper and covered up, prepared with a tongue-lashing for walking in without knocking.

Instead of Olaf stepping into the room, though, Mike was surprised to see the object of his more recent thoughts. Michele looked tired, swimming in her grey scrubs, eyes dark. Her hair looked greasy where it was tied on top of her head. Mike knew she’d only gotten a few hours of sleep before going into work, he’d woken up with her at three o’clock that morning when her phone rang. It was after eleven now.

“Hey, Michele.” Mike said softly, lowering his newspaper back to the table. He didn’t mind standing stark naked in front of her. She’d seem him like this many times before. And it wouldn’t be the last time. “Coffee?”

Michele shook her head, tiredly undoing her hair and gripping the hem of her scrub shirt. “I just want to crawl back into bed and go to sleep, Mike. I don’t care what you do with your day. I need a nap.”

Mike smiled, closing the space between them to help her take off her shirt. “That sounds like a good idea. Mind if I join you?”

Michele pushed him away weakly. “You have a bar to run. I’m not in the mood to fuck.”

Mike looked a bit surprised at that, chalking up her bad mood to her early shift, and tried a different tactic. “Nothing like that. Was thinking about just, you know, not opening up at all today, so I could stay in bed and give my girl a backrub.”

Michele gave him a skeptical look. “Since when?”

Mike led her to the bed, watching her toe off her shoes and shimmy from her pants. He deftly undid her bra. “Since you look very tired, and very much in need of a backrub.” He patted the bed (noticing only now that where he’d only had a few sheets and a thin blanket once upon a time, there was now a thick duvet. The colors were the same, but he’d never noticed a single change. He really needed to start paying attention).

Michele laid down comfortably on top of the blanket at his urging. “What’s gotten into you?”

Mike smiled as he straddled her thighs and got to work on her back. His hands found the knots that had been plaguing her for days and began to work them out. He listened carefully to her little gasps and moans when he worked out each kink, delighting in the way he could make her fall apart. “So, when did you do it?” He finally spoke, grinning as he waited for her to answer, because of course, he’d been waiting for this very moment to as her this and see what she had to say for herself.

Mike could feel the way Michele stiffened at his question. “Do what?”

“Start buying things for the man pad.” Mike returned. “Don’t think I didn’t notice.” Not that she had to know he’d only just started to notice today, because he’d never had time to look around.

Michele let out a soft snort. “Took you long enough.” She muttered with a good natured grin over her shoulder. “I thought you were just dense.”

Mike smiled a bit at that. His plan had backfired, but it didn’t really matter now, because at least she admitted that she’d been redecorating his place without his permission. “Of course I noticed, there’s clutter everywhere.” He leaned down slowly to whisper in her ear. “And here, I thought you weren’t the commitment type.” The shiver that went down her spine wasn’t unnoticed by him, either, but he knew better than to mention that he knew she’d been surprised.

“I’m not. Just because I buy some things-“

“And bring your clothes, and stay over every night.” Mike interrupted with a wide smile. “I guess you don’t like your apartment much?”

“That doesn’t mean I’m committed. I did the same things at Colin’s!” Michele argued weakly, blushing.

“Never bought him new things. Colin wouldn’t stand for all of these things in his house.” Mike teased. “Go on, Michele, admit it, you’re settling. Nesting.”

Michele hid her face in her crossed arms. “Shut up!”

Mike kissed the back of her ear and backed off, getting off of the bed. “You know, you don’t have to be embarrassed about it.” He said seriously. “It’s perfectly normal.”

Michele peeked out at him. “Not for me.”

Mike knelt by the bed once he’d gotten a pair of soft jeans in hand. “It…could be.” He replied, watching her face. “Or are you just embarrassed because it’s me and not someone rich like Colin, who can buy you anything you want?”

At that, Michele turned away again. “I’m not just a material girl, Mike. I like people for who they are.”

“And do you like me?” Mike murmured, turning her to face him. “Do I make you happy?”

Michele wet her lips, looking away for a moment. Her eyes closed tiredly. “Yes, you do. You make me happy.”

Mike grinned and gave her a quick kiss. “That’s my girl.” He stood to pull on his pants. “Now, I’m gonna go open up the bar. You come down when you’re done napping and we can have a talk about what else we need up here to keep you happy.”

Michele raised an eyebrow. “You’re going to let me bring in more clutter?” She looked amused a bit at the idea that he was breaking.

“Well…” Mike smiled. “So long as it makes you happy, I’m happy.” He grabbed for a shirt, buttoning it up. “Now, get some rest. I need you rested so we can have some fun later on.” With a playful wink, he padded barefoot to the door and headed down the stairs. He didn’t miss the kiss she blew him when he headed down to his workplace, and he thought that maybe some of the stupid, useless decorations weren’t all bad. So long as she didn’t buy those damn lace doilies that Valerie was so fond of. Now, those things, _they_ were not welcome.


End file.
